Note 1 at Mt. 13:52: All of these parables that Jesus taught this day (see p. v of Chronological Chart--Parable of the Sower to Parable of the Scribe) were revealing how the new kingdom of God (Lk. 17:20), of which Jesus had been announcing the arrival (Mk. 1:15), would work. People would enter this kingdom through the new birth (Jn. 3:3) which came as a result of faith in God's Word being sown in their hearts (Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet. 1:23; also illustrated in the parable of the sower--Mk. 4:14). The terms of this new covenant were dramatically different from those of the Old Testament law (Gal. 3:7-14); hence Jesus' question to His disciples "Have ye understood all these things?" (v. 51)

Then Jesus uses the word "scribe" in referring to His disciples (v. 52). Although they had no formal training, they were being instructed in the truths of this new kingdom by the greatest teacher of all and were therefore scribes in the truest sense of the word. Scribes had a duty to share their knowledge with others for the purpose of instruction (see ref. c at Mt. 13:52, p. 146). Therefore, Jesus teaches, through this comparison with the householder, their responsibility to impart these truths to others. The wisdom and understanding that they had received from Jesus about the kingdom of God was truly a treasure (see ref. b at Mt. 13:44, p. 144). They had a responsibility to bring it forth with both the new wisdom that had just been imparted to them and the old truths revealed to them in the writing of the prophets ("things old and new").